Meatball Calzones

Hot gooey cheese and meatballs folded inside a soft and chewy pizza crust. 

I love pizza.  I love making homemade pizza too, but my oven sucks.  I live in an apartment so I don't have my dream oven and gradually my current oven has become worse and worse.  It still works for many things and breads and pizzas turn out okay if I bake them on an AirBake pan, but I can't use my baking stone anymore :(  The problem is that breads burn on the bottom before they start to brown on top.  The way I've dealt with this is just baking breads and pizzas on one of my AirBake cookie sheets in the center of the oven. It works and I still enjoy my baked products, but they just don't get the same crisp/crunchy-ness as when I use the stone.

Now that I've complained....let's get to calzones. I like to think of calzones as individual pizzas folded in half.  Some people say that there should be no sauce inside the calzone, but I say, "do whatever you want".  Personally I put a little inside but kept most for dipping.  As for my pizza sauce, I make an easy marinara out of tomato paste.  It's easy and inexpensive.  I always keep tomato paste stocked in my pantry (it's great for so many things. Have you seen my Homemade Bloody Mary Mix or my Simple Pasta Sauce?).

Easy Marinara Sauce

1 6oz can tomato paste
1-2 cups water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried minced onions
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmesan (optional)

Mix the tomato paste with water until it is the consistency you like.  Stir in the herbs and spices and let sit for about 1 hour.  You may need to add more water to get it to the right consistency.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Just microwave to heat or enjoy cold or at room temperature.  Once again, do what you like it's pizza there shouldn't be so many rules.

Meatball Calzones

Ingredients:

16 oz (1 lb or 453g--I usually round up to 500g) pizza dough
15-20 pre-cooked Italian meatballs, split in half (Check out my Slow Cooker Meatballs)
Mozzarella, shredded
Easy Marinara Sauce

Start with your favorite pizza dough.  After mixing and kneading allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.  Separate into 4 roughly equal pieces and roll into balls.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Using one ball of dough at a time, roll/press into about a 6-9in circle (like a pizza).

Spread a spoon-full of marinara onto half of the circle.  Top with 1/4 of the meatballs and a hand-full of cheese then fold the other half over (you will have to pull and stretch) and seal the seam by pinching and folding.

Place the calzone on a baking sheet and cover while you make the rest.

Bake at 425F for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Brush hot calzones with garlic butter for extra deliciousness.  Serve with extra marinara for dipping.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Best of the Weekend, See ya in the Gumbo, 2 cup, Lou Lou Girls, Teach Me, Cook Craft Share, Full Plate

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Spinach Pasta Bake

A vegetarian one dish meal of pasta and tomato sauce, with spinach and garbanzo beans, baked with mozzarella.

Another one dish meal while I'm a single lady.  For this pasta bake I just used things I already had in the pantry and freezer.  I made a Simple Pasta Sauce and I added garbanzo beans (that I cooked a couple weeks ago and froze in 1 cup portions) and frozen spinach.  I also had some mozzarella in my freezer and of course pasta in the pantry.  Garnished with a sprig of fresh oregano, which I grow in my garden (a few potted plants outside on my lanai), this made an easy, delicious, and filling dinner.

Ingredients:

Simple Pasta Sauce (with spinach and garbanzo beans) or sauce of your choice
1 pound pasta, any variety should work
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
fresh oregano or basil for garnish

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente and drain.


Put drained pasta back in the empty pot and add the pasta sauce and half of the cheese.  Stir to combine and dump into a casserole dish.

Top with remaining cheese and bake, in a preheated oven, at 350F for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Garnish with fresh oregano or basil.  Makes 5-6 servings.

Enjoy.

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Simple Pasta Sauce

A simple tomato pasta sauce with many variations.

I do not like to buy pasta sauce.  I have in the past and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is so easy to make your own sauce with whatever you want in it.  I also believe that this method is a bit less expensive. All you have to do is open a couple of cans.

I know that most people use stewed whole tomatoes (canned) to make pasta sauce, but I use canned, diced tomatoes.  There are so many other uses for diced tomatoes, besides pasta, that I always have them in my pantry (and when you buy them in bulk they are very inexpensive).  I also use tomato paste in my sauce for the same reasons.  As you can see in the ingredients I don't really measure the spices I just throw in what smells good and what I like.  This recipe is easily alterable and you can modify it to your tastes.  If you are interested in a simple pasta sauce for when you make pasta for dinner, read on.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 palm full garlic powder (1-2 Tbsp)
1 palm full dried minced onions (about 1/4 cup)
1 palm full dried bail (1-2 Tbsp)
several shakes dried oregano (1/4-1/2 tsp)
several shakes dried Thyme (1/4-1/2 tsp)
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 cups frozen chopped spinach (optional)
1 cup garbanzo beans (optional)
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium to large sauce pan, over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil.  Then add the tomatoes, paste, and spices.

Next, add the spinach and beans (if using); then, pour in the red wine.  Stir until well mixed and add the water until the sauce becomes the consistency you want (you can omit the wine and just use more water, or use a chicken or vegetable broth). Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

When sauce begins to simmer lower the heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Pour or spoon over favorite pasta, makes about 4-6 servings.  I added spinach and garbanzo beans to this sauce but you can omit them and/or add your own extras (the serving size will change with additions or subtractions).

Variations:

Meat sauce:  Brown ground beef, chicken, or Italian sausage and drain before adding the tomatoes and spices.
Roasted Garlic Sauce:  Add some roasted garlic, as much as you like (I would add a whole bulb)
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:  Add a roasted red pepper or two, diced or pureed.
Vegetable Sauce:  Add diced zucchini and/or eggplant, cook them in the olive oil until tender before adding every thing else.

These are just a few variations.  The ideas are endless just be creative or use what you have on hand.  Enjoy.

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